


A Reprieve

by Or13M



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Horrortale Papyrus (Undertale), Horrortale Sans (Undertale), Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Original Character(s), Reader-Insert, Swapfell Papyrus (Undertale), Swapfell Sans (Undertale), Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Sans (Undertale)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28899300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Or13M/pseuds/Or13M
Summary: You've never done well with others... People...well, you're cautious of them. You don't trust them. You might even be afraid of them......So, why do you feel like you NEED to make friends with these skeletons? Can they really change your feelings? Or, like everybody else, prove you right in not trusting anyone but yourself...not even your own soulmates?Y/N and her sister have settled into a new home, but before they can heal from their past, they get swept up into the lives of their new skeleton neighbors...and become unwilling participants in a love war.*Decided to make a reader-insert with the "Sans" boys since their story is the main focus here. OC is with the "Paps" and the reader's sibling.*inspiration taken from "Bonely Hearts Club" fangame by owl-bones http://bonelyheartsclub.tumblr.com (tumblr for them)
Relationships: Papyrus (Undertale)/Original Character(s), Sans (Undertale)/Original Character(s), Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	1. Flower Buddies

**Author's Note:**

> I'm new on this site...and I like to write for fun and to get these frustrating fantasies out of my head before they drive me completely insane.
> 
> A little bit of insanity is plenty enough for me, thanks.
> 
> Uh...hope you enjoy my ramblings! Thanks for clicking on the story, at least...

"ya look a little…pail, buddy." 

You stared up at the skeleton monster hovering over you, your butt still planted firmly on the grass of your backyard. Your gaze followed where his blue and red eye lights had drifted to. Amusement tugged at the corners of your lips at the sight of the metal bucket—still half full of water—sitting right beside the rose bush you had been tending to just this morning. Bringing your attention back to the intruder in your little outdoor oasis, you noticed that he had stretched a hand towards you. You bit your lower lip, showing your nerves even as you took his offered palm. The bones beneath your fingers felt nicked and rough, but they radiated a warmth that you hadn't expected from what was essentially a fleshless human. He pulled you to your feet, but clearly miscalculated how light you were as you stumbled into his chest from the extra effort. With an embarrassed blush, you quickly disentangled yourself, your one working eye catching sight of the dark blue of his magic spreading over his cheekbones before you looked away. 

"d-didn't…mean to do…that…" the stranger excused in his deep rumble of a voice, embarrassment showing itself in the way he raised his shoulders and ducked his head as if he was a turtle who could hide in his shell. It somewhat worked as the worn blue hoodie he wore over his white t-shirt and jean overalls did manage to hide a good portion of his face. 

You waved him off with a nervous grin, trying to fight back the rising anxiety. It was a wonder that you could even interact with someone THIS much after weeks of isolating yourself in either your house or backyard. Social interactions had never been a common occurrence for you, but after a certain event, well… You started to reach for the eyepatch hidden beneath the hair spilling over the left half of your face but stopped halfway. It wouldn't do to bring attention to it… 

If he noticed your movements, the skeleton didn't mention it. Instead, he simply cocked his head and watched you with mild curiosity. You found yourself intrigued on how a skull—monster or otherwise—could form such a wide variety of emotions, but you had no way of asking… 

"i'm your new…neighbor," he started again, repeating the words he had said when he'd snuck up on you earlier. Your blush deepened at your previous reaction to his presence. You really hoped that he didn't think you were racist against monsters or anything. Even after a year of being on the surface—freed from their ancient prison—they still faced some resistance from humanity. You didn't want to contribute to such things. You just had a problem with people—human or monster—in general. "well, me, my brother…and our 8 cousins…" he trailed off as he glanced over to the bushes separating your two houses. You could see the second- and third-story windows from here, but you couldn't get a view inside due to the angle and the mid-afternoon sun. Instead, you glanced back at him and waited for him to finish his thoughts, starting to fiddle with the sleeves of your tie-dye pullover as the awkward silence settled over you both. 

"my name's 'ash'," he introduced himself, eyes shyly sliding off to the side and tilting his head so that most of his face was hidden by the wide brim of the straw hat he wore. Just before he did, you took notice of the wide crack going right through one of his eye sockets—the one with the red pinprick of light that must have served as his pupil. You had a feeling that he wore the hat to conceal a much-larger wound. Unless skeleton monsters really did need to protect their bones from the dangerous rays of the sun? You weren't a doctor—much less a monster one. 

You jumped when you noticed Ash staring at you once again. His blue and red "pupils" stayed glued to you, and you could feel the heat in your face growing worse even as you brought up one hand and tried your best to sign your name. 

'Y/N,' you signaled slowly, trying your best to get your fingers into the positions without messing up. You didn't know many signs since muteness wasn't something you had been born with, and a month wasn't enough time to learn anything… 

How were you going to convey all of THAT? You suppose that you could go fetch your journal, but running into your house would look pretty bad right about now… 

"y/n, huh?" 

Well, at least, he knew how to read fingerspelling. 

"so, you know sign?" Ash continued, ignoring the loud talking happening next door as his cousins moved in. 

With a nervous but curious glance that way, you shook your head in answer at your friendly neighbor, grimacing at his confused expression. You tried to convey the reason by touching your throat before, reluctantly, lifting your hair out of the way to reveal the white patch concealing your left eye. You knew that he could see the ugly scar peeking out from the top and bottom of the bandage from where the attack had sliced into the skin from above the eyebrow all the way to just below your cheekbone. You watched as his eye lights tightened further until it seemed that they had disappeared altogether, leaving behind nothing but pitch-black pools in his sockets. You teetered anxiously from one foot to the other, letting your hair drop back over the injury. You liked to keep it draped over that half of your face for that very reason. Fewer stares and questions that way. 

"is that…recent?" the skeleton finally breathed, his miscolored eye lights back and now peering at you with concern. Oddly, you didn't feel upset about the intrusion into your past, but you didn't know how to answer him. Hell, you still didn't know why he had decided to come over here in the first place! You settled for nodding your head for a "yes". It was over a month ago, but it was recent enough that you still needed to go and purchase an official eyepatch for it. You just hadn't had the time or the willingness to go out shopping…especially by yourself. 

After another long bout of silence—again, awkward—you finally motioned with your hand for your new "friend" to follow you. Surprisingly, he did so, but he seemed to be thinking too deeply to really talk again. You continued to mess with your sleeves even as you walked right through the open sliding glass doors to the back of your house. The gentle fragrance of the Lavender plants sitting on the nearby shelves calmed you somewhat as you snatched up the small leather journal and pen resting on the coffee table. Just like the outside oasis, the first level of the two-story home that you shared with your sister was chockfull of plants. You had always loved nature, but this past month had supercharged that feeling to keep your hands busy and your dark thoughts at bay. 

You turned back to the monster who was still hovering at the entrance. His expression was uncertain, as if he didn't know if he should invade your space or not. Your anxiety broke a little at the sight, feeling relieved that he seemed to be a good guy. Just a feeling in your gut, but Ash appeared to be somebody that you could trust. With a small smile and a wave, you motioned him inside. He stepped in with an awkward smile, his eye lights glancing here and there with vague interest. They stopped briefly at a painting your sister had done years prior, a smile pulling at his teeth, before moving on to survey the two bookcases situated on either side of the tv stand. Feeling rather prideful as the elder sibling, you quickly jotted something down on a clear page in your notebook before giving his sleeve a gentle tug to show him. 

'My little sister painted that,' you had written, the smile growing into a grin on your face when he glanced back at the brightly colored flowers. His own teeth stretched into a wide smile when he returned his attention to you, fangs flashing at the corners of his mouth. 

"it's good…she must be…pretty talented." He chuckled at your emphatic nodding, that light dusting of blue--or maybe it was indigo--back on his cheekbones. 

'Did you need something, Ash?' you scribbled when your scattered thoughts decided to get back to what you had wanted to ask earlier. 

"oh? uh…" The magic on his face intensified in color and size. You figured that must be a skeleton's way of blushing since they didn't have the blood or skin to do it. You waited patiently for him to speak, feeling far calmer in his presence now that you were inside and away from the hustle and bustle of his family moving. You could still hear them, but it wasn't as loud, and you had a full view of the outside so you wouldn't be caught unawares…for a second time… 

"i…i saw that…you had some….experience with plants…" Ash continued, his eye lights flicking from your face to the floor and back. "i was wondering…if you could help…me? um…" 

Letting your gaze drift outside once more, you bit your lip. He must have spotted you finishing up the tomato plants in your little corner garden. In fact, the whole backyard looked like something out of a "Better Home and Gardens" magazine. You may have gotten a little carried away with your new hobby, but it was a wonderful thing to have when you stepped outside in the mornings! The climbing ivy and grape vines clinging to the house and the crossbeams that made up the "roof" to the little patio beyond the sliding doors created a fairytale-like atmosphere. There was a rose bush—an heirloom from your great-great grandmother—that was poking out from the freshly dug earth near a tree in the corner opposite of your new neighbors. It was still very sparse and small since it was just an offshoot of the old one, but the pale-pink buds would always be beautiful to your eyes…er, eye. The garden itself was situated in the corner of the yard right next to the six-foot-tall bushes that separated your yard from Ash and his family's. It was neatly arranged with tomatoes, carrots, beans, and even some potatoes. Random other flowers, herbs, and ground covering decorated the small back area of the property. Some stepping stones even made a short path from the concrete slab of the patio to the tree where a large tire hung from a thick branch. 

'I can help,' you wrote quickly, offering a shaky smile. Meeting his extensive family was going to be difficult, but Ash seemed like a friendly guy. Quiet—like yourself—but, for some reason that you couldn't explain, he was drawing you to him like a moth to a flame. 

"are you sure?" Ash's deep voice rumbled into the quiet of the house, reminding you quite severely how you were alone for the remainder of the day. Another good reason to remain in someone's company. You didn't need to be alone with your thoughts after you finished your chores and other work. You were also certain that your sister was getting tired of you using up all her baking supplies when you did have that sort of free time… 

You gave him a firm nod, determined to get out there and meet your new neighbors. It was time to make a change! 

Ash smiled, now motioning for you to follow him. Since you were a paranoid person, you already had your keys and phone on you in the off chance that you locked yourself out of the house. Sliding the now-locked door shut, you effectively sealed off your home from potential invaders and slipped the journal and pen into the front pocket of your hoodie. 

"thank you…for helping," Ash spoke as you walked, seemingly getting more comfortable in your presence. "i was afraid…that the plants would sit out all night…we would have been here earlier…but some of us slept in…" he sighed a little at that, causing you to smile at the cute familial drama. It was a far different sort of drama than what you were used to. 

The remainder of the short walk to his place was spent in silence--no longer awkward, just comfortable. The sight of a half-empty U-Haul truck with boxes set just in front of it greeted you as you emerged from the last of the hedges between your homes. More boxes seemed to be piled up on the porch of their gigantic house. Seriously, your neighbors had managed to snag themselves a nice three-story house! Considering what Ash had said about there being ten of them altogether, it made sense. They would need every square inch of that place to coexist at least somewhat peacefully. 

Your eye caught on a skeleton lounging in a chair by the door. From this distance, he looked eerily similar to the one walking beside you. You didn't get much more time to study him or get closer before a third presence drew your attention away. 

"AH, ASH, THERE YOU ARE!" a tall skeleton monster called as he exited the back of the moving truck, carrying a couple of boxes in each arm. His skull resembled that of a human's skeleton much more than Ash's rounder, fused one did, but it appeared to be just as malleable as the lanky one furrowed his brow bones and narrowed his eye sockets in your direction. "OH! ARE YOU A NEW NEIGHBOR! IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" he announced in a loud, boisterous voice that left you momentarily stunned. You weren’t quite expecting such a bellow, so you retreated slightly into Ash's side. You smiled at the newly dubbed "Papyrus" despite your awkwardness and gave a wave in his direction. Thankfully, the taller skeleton seemed to completely disregard the mousey reaction as he went on about how they had just moved in with his brother and cousins and that you would be great friends, so on and so forth. The tension in your shoulders slowly eased away at the delightful innocence he seemed to project with his wild movements and confident air. 

You wished you had even a smidge of that confidence… 

You flinched when you suddenly felt another presence on your blind side. The sudden jolt of your instincts caused you to collide into Ash's ribs, your heart in your throat and your anxiety crashing back into you. A boney hand steadied you, fingers tightening on your shoulder but not hard enough to cause any pain. Ash's words were quick to follow. 

"you okay, buddy?" the skeleton friend you had made brought you back to the present. Your single eye glanced up at his worried eye lights. Instantly, you felt the shame and embarrassment of your actions wash over you. Shoving back the bad memories and rising bile in the back of your throat, you forced yourself to nod at him while your gaze flicked over to your left where a skeleton remarkably like Ash stood with an unreadable expression on his skull. "was that necessary…classic?" Ash spoke in his soft voice, but there was a bite to it that you hadn't heard before. 

"sorry," the newcomer spoke, shrugging his shoulders like he couldn't care less. The blue hoodie he wore didn't seem to be in as bad of shape as Ash's, but it did seem to be from the same brand since they looked identical. "didn't expect her to jump out of her skin like that." His eye lights—white dots in his black sockets—rolled over to you, the bones around his eyes crinkled up from his wide grin as if laughing at his own pun. 

Despite how awful of a joke it was, you couldn't resist the smile from slipping onto your face. It was one of those instances where it was so bad, it was good! 

"NYEH! NOT AGAIN, SANS!" Papyrus narrowed his eyes at the shorter monster, hands on his hip bones. You hid your silent giggles behind a hand as the taller of the pair started to chastise his apparent brother about his "AWFUL PUNS" and how he shouldn't be tainting the guests with them. Sans, to his credit, took it all in stride, slouching where he stood as if he could fall asleep at any moment. 

You took the time to observe the two new skeletons that have become your neighbors. Sans looked a lot like Ash, just smaller. Whereas you stood eye-level with Ash's chest, Sans' teeth were in your line of sight. Ash was also broader in the shoulders and chest, and—from what you could see of his fused neck—possessed some thick bones. Their bodies were probably made up of bone thicker than a human's and fused in certain places—like the palms of their hands and their jaw bones. Since they lacked the fleshy parts that coated your species, you could only assume that their exposed skeletons were tougher and more flexible to avoid general wear and tear. Unlike your big, green-thumbed friend, the smaller of the two lacked the crack in his socket and had two white eye lights rather than the multicolored pair that Ash possessed. His outfit was similar, but instead of overalls, he had on a pair of black gym shorts with white stripes down the sides. The fuzzy pink slippers on his feet were a nice addition to the rest of the "lazy" ensemble... 

Compared to the absurdly tall monster next to him, Sans' sense of fashion was sloppy at best. Papyrus proudly wore a red jacket with white sleeves and a white shirt peeking out beneath it. A pair of black jeans concealed the bones of his legs before hitting the red-and-white sneakers on his feet. His skeletal body erred more on the side of actual human anatomy. There were still many places where the bones were fused to make one giant plate—like his hands—but they weren't as thick as Ash's and Sans'. His skull, too, was closer to your species, but the hollow eye sockets did have a pair of those white eye lights that he seemed to share with his brother. The bone was also, apparently, malleable enough to show expression as he was now glaring at the slippered skeleton in front of him. 

"come on, bro," Sans tried to appease his brother before a sly look slid your way. "i'm bone-tired. we should give it a break and introduce her to the other boneheads." 

Again, you snickered at the bad jokes coupled with that smug grin on the guy's face. His delivery of the puns made the whole situation kind of funny, tibia honest, and it was starting to rub off on you. Guess Ash and his cousin shared that in common. 

"NYEH!" Papyrus stomped his foot, but there was a huge grin on his face. He then seemed to realize exactly what his brother just said as he then turned his attention to you. "AH! I FORGOT TO ASK FOR YOUR NAME, NEW FRIEND!" 

You blinked in confusion at the abrupt change in topic before glancing over to Ash for help. 

"...her name's y/n," said the skeleton monster next to you, his hand still on your shoulder. "...she can't speak..." he continued when his cousins gave him questioning looks. "...or sign..." 

You pouted at that, digging into your pullover's pocket to retrieve the journal and pen. 'I can fingerspell!' you held out the note you'd just written after erasing the earlier ones with Ash. Having an erasable pen certainly helped when you didn't want to go through hundreds of pages in a day whenever you wanted to say something. 

"heh. sure, kid, but that is such a handful," Sans teased with a wink, but his smile was tighter and not as carefree. 

"I COULD TEACH YOU HOW TO SIGN, HUMAN-Y/N!" Papyrus bellowed, his hands on his hips and his eyes practically buzzing with excitement. 

You stared up at him with awe, shocked that someone you just met would want to take the time to teach you a whole new language. Meekly, you nodded your head while mouthing 'if it's no trouble'. You could feel your cheeks warm at Ash's rumbling chuckles and Papyrus's words of encouragement about how quick you'll pick up on it with him as your teacher. 

"OH! I AM CERTAIN BLUE WILL HELP!" he carried on with his plans of when and where he would carry out these study sessions. "MAYBE—with some convincing—BLACK AND EDGE WILL TOO!" The excitement radiating from him was palpable. So much so that you hadn't even realized you were moving again until Ash guided you through their front door before you could faceplant into it. 

"AND JUST WHAT WILL I BE HELPING WITH, CREAMPUFF?" a deep—though not as deep as Ash's—voice snapped out. It had a bite to it—an edge—that was clear and cutting with an underlying sense of danger. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up at the presence in the large living room the four of you had just walked into. "AND WHO THE HELL IS THAT?" the same voice spoke again, but, this time, you could see who it was coming from. You forced yourself not to do a double take as what appeared to be an edgier version of Papyrus—or was it Creampuff—stood in the doorframe to what you assumed to be the kitchen on the opposite end of the room. His voice was loud enough that it easily carried over the vast expanse of area, much like Papyrus's. This guy, however, had red eye lights in place of the friendlier version's white ones, and his sockets were narrowed into a permanent scowl. And, unlike Papyrus's normal straight teeth, this tall skeleton possessed a mouthful of sharpened fangs that, somehow, still managed to close perfectly in his jaw. There were two deep gouges over his left socket, too, feeding into that threatening aura he seemed to exude. His arms were crossed proudly beneath a black jacket that hung over his shoulder, a double gold chain at his neck keeping it clasped together. The blood-red of the inside lining of his coat threw the grey button-down shirt he wore into sharp relief. The black of his slacks, too, stood out against the bright color. A gold belt and pair of black combat boots were all that were needed to finish off the polished and dark look he seemed to be going for. 

"geez, boss," a new voice drawled from a hallway to the side of the room—a space you could not see since an empty bookcase sat there. "what ya yellin for? i could hear ya all the way from the—" they stopped talking suddenly when they appeared from around the corner. Another skeleton, of course, this one clothed in a red sweater with a gold double-chain that mimicked the tall edge lord hanging around his neck. A fluffy-hooded red-and-black jacket, a pair of black gym shorts with yellow stripes down the sides, and, finally, a pair of black sneakers finished off his look. His eye lights, too, were red, like the tall skeleton he stopped next to. His teeth were also sharp, but one of the fangs beneath his left eye glinted gold in the sunlight when he turned to fully face you and the other three you were with. 

He...looked a lot like Sans and Ash... 

"so, who's little miss sunshine over there?" he asked with a careless nod your way. Your glanced down at your admittedly colorful hoodie, taking note that it was hanging below your hips and all you wore past that was a pair of black leggings and water shoes. Not your usual getup, but it was laundry day and you had to dig into the very back of your closet to scrounge up what was left. It wasn't like you could get rid of it, either—your little sister had given it to you, so it was too precious to let go... 

You reached up to your hidden left eye, your fingers just touching the bandage when Ash gripped your wrist and pulled it away. 

"don't...it won't get better that way..." he cautioned, watching you carefully until you nodded at him. The others didn't miss the exchange, but they said nothing about it. They just threw you and Ash curious looks before getting back to the topic at hand. 

"THIS IS Y/N! OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR!" Papyrus shouted in excitement, practically vibrating where he stood. You couldn't help the smile tugging at your lips at the sight. "Y/N, THAT IS EDGE," he pointed directly at the edgy version of himself. "AND RED," his finger moved slightly to the side until it landed on the edgy copy of his brother. You nodded your head to show that you understood, earning a bright grin that was practically blinding. You'd heard stranger names than that this past year from all the monsters integrating into society. Hell, some humans had strange names... 

"girl next door?" the one now dubbed as "Red" piped up. For some reason, he looked more interested now with that fresh bit of information. He grinned, or smirked, at your questioning tilt of your head. His eye lights ran up and down your body, and you had to bite your tongue to keep from shivering, a bit perturbed by the sight. Instead, you narrowed your eyes into a glare. Apparently, it was a weak one since all he did was chuckle and roll his eyes. "don't get all worked up, sweetcheeks." His grin widened at Ash's growl. "just checkin out the competition," he finished with a slow wink. 

The heat in your face intensified and you tried your best to ignore the smug grin he now wore. His voice was different from Sans' and Ash's. It was deep, but not as much as theirs were. It had a heavy Brooklyn-like accent to it, too. 

"DID I HEAR NEIGHBOR?" 

You turned towards the new voice after watching as Red followed Edge back into the kitchen. THREE skeleton monsters were now walking down the stairs from the second level. Two were shorter than Sans, but still shared his rounder skull, while the third was nearly as tall as Papyrus...if he wasn't slouched over like that. Then a FOURTH one came out of the doorway Edge and Red had just ducked into. 

"AH, BROTHER, THERE YOU ARE!" the one from the kitchen said. He was dressed rather well, to be frank. A pink sweater vest over a yellow dresshirt with stone-washed blue jeans and brown loafers. He had a cane in one hand and wore glasses that stayed up with a sports band at the back of his skull. His jagged teeth were being held in their proper place by specialized braces made just for him. He was taller than either Papyrus or Edge, but his bones appeared to be thinner and more brittle, hence the cane. "OH! AND WHO IS THIS?" he stopped just a couple of feet away, causing you to have to crane your head back a bit to get a good look into his eyes. His sockets were smaller than Papyrus's, but those gentle white eye lights still shone brightly from the dark abyss. 

"well, now that mostly everybody's here," Sans started, moving to stand right next to you on the opposite side of Ash. It made you a bit nervous since that was your blind side, but you managed not to balk when he settled his hand on your shoulder. "this is y/n. our next-door neighbor. ash wanted to introduce her to everybody before they work in the garden." 

You started a bit at that. You did not recall either yourself or Ash saying that upon meeting any of his family members. Had you just zoned out when that happened? 

"...this is my brother...poplar," Ash offered next to you, motioning to the cane-wielding skeleton standing in front of you. You smiled up at the taller monster, offering a hand in greeting...and was more than surprised when he pulled you into a bone-crushing hug instead. You thanked your lucky stars that you were mute, otherwise you would have yelped from the sudden contact. 

"WOWIE! NICE TO MEET YOU, TINY NEIGHBOR!" he crowed above your head before, thankfully, setting you back on your feet. You swayed badly but were saved with steadying hands from both Sans and Ash. 

"TCH! YOU ACT LIKE SHE'S SOME PET..." one of the three skeletons that had descended the stairs sneered in a loud voice. Despite his short stature, he still seemed to be trying to look down on you as you stood in the center of the room. His violet eye lights glowed brightly out of his round skull, accentuating a small nick on one side of his mouth. Like Edge and Red, his teeth were razor-sharp, and his eyes narrowed in distrust. Much like Edge, he, too, was dressed to the nines—a purple turtleneck, black trench coat, black skinny jeans and pair of slender gloves...also black. This guy really loved black. He even wore a pair of black boots on his feet, but there was a beautiful silver double chain hanging from his front coat pocket. It was connected to a broach that looked to be in the form of a skull... 

How fitting for a skeleton. 

"IT'S NOT NICE TO CALL PEOPLE 'PETS', BLACK!" the one standing next to him—identical to his height—chastised with a frown on his boney lips. 

Well, THAT name fit the little tsundere...though you were in no place to judge someone by their height. Your own short-stack self probably didn't stand any taller than the guy's nasal cavity... 

Damn your parents for not feeding you more milk when you were little... 

"hey, bro, don't ya have a bet to win?" the one that looked like he was half-folded over teased the one who had scolded Black, one eye socket open and staring, not at his bro, but at you. You felt like you were being judged as his white eye light stared into your single eye. He wore a pullover hoodie like your own, but his had orange sleeves, white stripe in the middle, and a black stripe on the bottom. A pair of grey cargo shorts and orange slip-ons with grey socks revealed the slender bones of his legs. Still thicker than a human's but not by much. 

The skeleton next to him looked like a peppier version of Sans or Ash. He wore a white cardigan with stripes of teal and dark-blue shapes and lining. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, showing off bits of thick and powerful bones before bright-blue-colored gloves covered his hands. A yellow shirt, stone-washed jeans, black ankle boots, and a bright-blue scarf tied around his neck finished off the fashionable look. His eye lights were teal in the dark sockets and very, very bright as they flickered from his brother to you then to Black. 

Meeting all these skeletons in the span of a few minutes was making your head spin... 

"we should get started...on those plants..." Ash seemed to notice your increasing nerves without you having to write a single word. You nodded in silent agreement, glad to get the chance at a reprieve. You were feeling surrounded, and it was not at all helping to quiet your growing anxiety. Every movement someone made was making you shift foot to foot and your gaze flick at every sound. It was a struggle to keep your twitching fingers away from the eyepatch... 

"AH, YES, WE CAN HAVE A NEIGHBORLY CHAT AFTER WE'VE MOVED IN ALL THE WAY!" the short skeleton standing next to Black spoke in a chipper voice, carrying excitement almost equal to that of Papyrus. "I'M BLUE, BY THE WAY. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, HU-Y/N!" he quickly corrected himself, a blush—teal in color—lightly dusted over his bones at the stumble. He then turned to his brother, waving a hand in a wide arc as if presenting a prize in a game show. "AND THIS IS MY BROTHER, STRETCH!" 

"yo..." the slouched skeleton gave a lazy wave. His observation of you seemed to have ended since both of his eyes were now closed. He only opened them when he turned back to his brother and reminded him, again, about whatever bet he had made. His words had an immediate effect as both Blue AND Black rushed out the door with determined cries. "nyeh..." Stretch gave a soft, familiar, laugh as he slowly followed them. He didn't even give you a second glance when he passed, something you were both grateful for and confused by. 

Sans and Papyrus had already disappeared, leaving Ash and you to trail after Poplar as the tallest of you three led the way into the kitchen. You looked around, expecting to see Red and Edge both idling about, but only the dark, suave skeleton himself was in here. His scarlet eye lights bore into you with narrowed malice over the box he was emptying, but he didn't say a word. 

"THE GARDEN IS RIGHT IN THE BACK, TINY HUMAN," Poplar helpfully pointed out, indicating the sliding glass doors that led from the kitchen to the outside. You nodded your head in thanks, barely able to take in the sights of the half-empty wooden cabinets, sunny-yellow walls, and shining wooden floor before being ushered into the afternoon sun. 

Stepping out onto the large slab of concrete starting at the door and side of the house, you realized how different this yard was to your own. It was much LARGER, that was for sure! Then again, you guessed a lot of land would come with a big house like this one. Yours was about half the size of this one and a whole level chopped off the top, but it was still fairly large for the price. You had the same depth from house to fence—about four Poplars laying head to toe—but the width was nearly triple that. 

Again, bigger house, more land. 

Pots of plants sat abandoned all over the yard, just ready to be transplanted, as did bags of nutrient-rich soil. Some tools lay strewn across the emerald-green grass—a hoe, shovel, and some hand-based tools—alongside a pair of gloves that Ash immediately reached for. There were even a couple of tree saplings that appeared to be some sort of fruit-bearing ones. There wasn't much in the form of further decorations, like birdbaths, rock, or even ground-covering plants. Just a lot of vegetables, fruits, and even some herbs they could use to garnish their meals. 

Overall, this looked like some kind of self-survival attempt. It was definitely something you could get behind since you were in a similar boat. Already, your mind was brimming with the possibilities. Maybe you could offer an offshoot of those blueberry bushes you'd planted in place of the ornamental hedges at your front door? And some of those strawberry plants around the base of your house would certainly do well in the shade of that young oak tree in the back corner. If you could get to the lumber yard at the local shop, then building a pagoda for some grape vines-- 

"...you, uh, okay there, buddy?" Ash's deep rumble broke you from your plans as you mentally mapped out a backyard oasis. You jumped at the sudden intrusion, turning to look sheepishly at your new flower buddy. Pulling out your journal and pen from its pocket, you jotted down what you'd been thinking of and showed it to him. The blush heating your cheeks deepened in embarrassment as his expression went from semi-concerned to happily intrigued. "...you're pretty creative yourself...huh?" he complimented. It took you a minute to realize what he was referring to, but then you remembered your sister's painting you'd shown off. You waved off the praise, shrugging your shoulders, but couldn't help the smile from tugging at the corners of your lips. 

Creative? Yes. Good? No. You didn't think so, anyway... 

"you sure about giving away your plants?" Ash continued, bones shifting into a frown. 

'I can give you pieces of them so they can root and make their own plants,' you showed him. Your reward was a flash of surprise on his round skull. 

"...they can do that?" He seemed uncertain about it, but you just nodded your head with an excited grin. He must have been fairly new with plants and all their juicy little details. You were extremely keen on the idea of educating your new friend on all that you knew...and learn together on what you didn't. 

You both spent a good half hour sketching out a plan of where to plant what and what to leave open for future projects and plants. You wrote and drew everything on some free pages in your journal, careful not to let him see the sketches and writing you had in there from random bouts of inspiration that you had no other outlet for. He was a friendly and shy guy, but you weren't confident enough in your own art to show it off quite yet... 

After Ash decided where he wanted things—pointedly ignoring Edge's input when he poked his head out to demand what was taking so long—you got down and dirty to put the plants they did have into the ground. You maybe got halfway through before you were interrupted. 

You were so heavily involved in your work of transplanting the final tomato plant into the freshly tilled garden—you'd dragged a manual tiller from your place over—that you failed to notice the light footsteps coming up behind you. Ash, however, was not caught unawares. If not for his sigh and getting to his feet, you would have probably fallen flat on your back for the second time that day at the new presence in the garden. 

"i've already told you, black..." you tilted your head at Ash's words before sitting back on your heels and glancing behind you. You flinched hard at the sudden stranger standing in the late afternoon light. "sans said no spiked fences...not that i care..." Then he finally turned around, his eye lights not missing your uneasiness as you remained in your crouched position on the ground. 

A young woman—appearing to be around your age—stood in the center of the backyard. Her long hair—dyed a deep sapphire-blue—was up in a high ponytail, the ends dangling all the way to her midback. Her tall, slender figure perfectly filled out a cute white blouse with billowing, see-through sleeves and a pair of skin-tight jean leggings. On her feet, she wore a pair of slip-on black flats. Going back up to her face, you could see the glint of gold from the hoops dangling from her earlobes and the fine dusting of makeup enhancing what natural beauty she possessed. A pop of color in the form of tinted lip gloss and pink eyeshadow coupled with the mascara and eyeliner she wore helped finish off the cute-but-elegant look she seemed to be going for. 

You suddenly felt the overpowering urge to bury yourself in the dirt and not come out again... 

“oh...uh, sorry about that,” Ash rubbed the back of his skull in an awkward manner, his eye lights shifting off the new girl and onto the ground. “thought you were someone else...” 

You remained precisely where you were, not daring to move and unable to tear your eye away from the young lady. You could feel that familiar coil of fear as it settled in your gut. It was like a snake had popped up out of nowhere and was rearing its head back in preparation to strike, and you were trying your best to stay still. You tensed further when you caught her dark-brown eyes glance your way for the briefest of moments before returning to your friend’s mismatched eye lights. 

“Uh, your...cousin? He asked me to go around and meet everyone,” she spoke in a soft voice, sounding uncertain. Once again, she looked at you, but Ash intervened before she could say anything more. 

“sans did, huh? ...figures...” He rolled his eye lights beneath the brim of his hat—something that the stranger couldn’t see since he’d ducked it low enough to hide his face. The only reason you could tell that he’d done that was because you were still planted firmly on the ground. “well, i’m ‘ash’...and this is ‘y/n’. she can’t speak,” he added quickly, seeing the girl’s mouth open as if about to question you directly. “y/n is our next-door neighbor.” 

The girl’s jaws snapped shut, her eyes flashing you a look that you couldn’t even begin to describe. A feeling fluttered through your chest at the expression, causing the hairs on your arms and the back of your neck to raise. You shoved it back down, settling for just watching as she introduced herself as “Alice” and how she was the neighbor from across the street. It didn’t take long for her to leave, thankfully, giving Ash a friendly wave and you a stiff nod before she turned her back on you both. 

The paralysis you had felt at her presence slowly slipped away, the fear dissipating now that the originator of it had vacated the premises. You released a breath that you hadn’t known you’d been holding. Your hand had already gone to mess with the bandage on your left eye, the dirty glove that had previously been on it now lying on your lap. 

“you okay?” Ash’s voice sounded from right next to you. Oddly, you didn’t even flinch at how close he was, even on your blind side. Just a few hours in his presence and you were already getting comfortable with him. 

You frowned at that thought, shaking your head in answer to your friend’s question. You may have been jumpy, at first, with Ash and the other skeletons, but you hadn’t been frozen in fear like you were with that Alice. Your sister and you had been in the neighborhood for a month and neither of you had gone to meet the neighbors. Your sister’s reasoning was because she’d been simply too busy with hunting down jobs to support you, while yours had been...well, doctor’s orders... 

“i’m not asking for details, but...i’m guessing it’s got something to do...with your eye?” he seemed unsure of asking, shy even, but he asked anyway. His phalanges wrapped around your wrist to pull your fingers away from said eye when they started to pick underneath the white fabric as your mind started to drift. 

You nodded, shifting in discomfort at the subject of this conversation. True to his word, he didn’t press any further, and you got back to work...although, the silence was more tense now... 

Just as the sun dipped to rest low on the horizon, you finished planting what vegetation was available. Even the clippings from your own plants were done and just waiting to grow in the nutrient-rich earth of your neighbors’ backyard. You’d taken a few breaks within the hours you’d worked—mostly at Blue’s and Pap’s insistence since “humans are fragile”--and you’d gotten a chance to meet Black’s brother, Rus. Apparently, he’d been sleeping in the back of the U-Haul truck they’d rented for the move. His punishment for shirking his responsibilities had been to meet the human in the backyard... Rus had been a sweetheart—nervous and anxiety-ridden, just like you—and had been ecstatic with your suggestion of adding a hammock for him to nap on. 

“you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner, kid?” Sans tried for a second time after Ash had taken you around to the front of the house where Sans was lounging. They’d finished moving in and unpacking by this point. The truck was gone and most everyone was inside. It was just Sans, Ash, and you standing on the porch. You shook your head, pouting as you waved at yourself. You were covered in dirt and grime, sweat clinging to your skin like water. What had been a brightly-colored pullover was now smudged and stained from your work in their yard. 

“aw...it’s not that bad, buddy,” Ash grinned, blue dusting his cheeks at the sight. He wasn’t faring any better. If anything, he was WORSE. He’d even managed to get a nice big splotch of mud smeared over his cheekbone. You rose a brow at that, the OCD kicking in enough that you reached up and rubbed the spot with a clean part of your sleeve. His blush worsened at your touch, but he didn’t pull away. It wasn’t until you accomplished your task that it hit you what you’d done. You snapped your hands back as if you’d been burned, waving them around with a sheepish expression on your face and your cheeks burning like the sun. 

“looks like you got a hands-on experience, ash,” Sans teased, his white eye lights glowing brighter than before as he gave his cousin a knowing grin. 

“shut up, classic...” your flower buddy responded in a low growl. “you’re fine, buddy,” he soothed as you kept mouthing “sorry”, unable to push the actual word past your non-functioning vocal chords. 

“heh. it was nice seeing you, kid,” Sans ignored his cousin, both of his eyes now watching you as you turned to him. “don’t forget your promise to paps about learning sign tomorrow.” 

“blue, too,” Ash added as an afterthought, reminding you that both skellies had hunted you down during the yard work to schedule a tutoring session. 

You brightened and perked up at the memory. Those two were sweet and caring. They struck you as the types to want and easily make friends. Taking advantage of the little bit they had already taught you—just “yes” and “no”—you motioned an affirmative. You were rewarded with twin toothy grins before being bid a final farewell. 

You’d barely made it through your front door when you were hit with a flurry of clothes, hair, and limbs. 

“Where have you BEEN?!” your sister’s familiar voice shrieked into your ear. Her hands clutched your shoulders to keep you still while her eyes scanned over you. “And WHAT have you been DOING?” she chided with a crinkled nose at the evidence of your work in the garden. 

You gave her a nervous smile, your hand scratching your cheek in an effort to not pick at the bandage on your eye. 

This…was going to be fun…


	2. Sweetcheeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> y/n learns a few new words...some of them from Red...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> f/c = favorite color

“now move your hand like this,” Red advised as he made the motion himself, his sharp teeth stretched wide in a grin. You eyed him skeptically. He was looking much too excited to teach you whatever word this was, and you didn’t like it. “come on, sweetcheeks. ya need some hands-on experience, right?” he teased, trying to bait you into doing what he wanted. 

You were sitting on the couch at the skeletons’ house with Red, having been dragged out of the warmth and comfort of your bed by an excitable Papyrus and energetic Blue. You’d barely had time to grab your phone—nevermind a change of clothes—before they’d swept you off to their house. You had to be carried by Papyrus because you were much too groggy and sore from the hard work the day before. As soon as you’d gotten here, Black and Edge had swooped in to scold the two of them. You’d gotten sour looks...but a cup of coffee, as well, so who were you to complain? Apparently, the four of them needed to do their early morning workout before the two bubbly ones could teach you sign. You’d been too out of it to do much more than nod and promptly collapse on the couch with a warm mug in your hands. 

Now, here you were, being accosted by a skeleton with no boundaries and a shark grin. 

You picked at the sleeves of your sweater, a nervous sweat gathering on your brows the more Red stared at you with that expectant gleam in his eye...light. Why was he even talking to you? He hadn’t seemed all that interested the day before. And “Sweetcheeks” was a vast difference from “Little Miss Sunshine”...and far from an improvement. Your good eye glanced over at the other skeleton in the room—Sans—as he lounged on the armchair opposite the part of the couch the two of you were on. He wasn’t wearing the blue hoodie this time, but still had on the same white t-shirt and black gym shorts. No fuzzy pink slippers either. Not a surprise, since it was barely 6 in the morning. Red was in a similar boat—red tee and black gym shorts, but he wore a pair of black socks on his feet. At least you weren’t alone in the whole nightclothes situation—a pair of black workout shorts and a (f/c) sweater. 

“just give him a handout, kid, or he’ll never stop,” Sans advised, peeking open one boney eyelid to see the predicament you were in. 

With great reluctance, you gave in to their demands. You replicated the quick motion with your hand before promptly dropping it back to your lap. Red snickered and Sans just grinned. You were even more suspicious now but couldn’t type quick enough into your phone to demand exactly what it was that they made you say before the front door slammed open. Startled by the loud noise, you jumped to your feet and spun around. Thankfully, the mug was empty and on the coffee table, otherwise it would have been used as a projectile at Edge as he stomped through the doorframe. 

That would not have gone over well. 

Quickly schooling your features back to a neutral facade, you tried your best to quell the adrenaline now rushing through your body. Your good eye flicked toward your two companions, and you could barely repress the flinch at their gazes on you. They had seen your reaction. 

“BROTHER, WHY ARE YOU UP SO EARLY?” Edge bellowed, his red eye lights just now catching sight of his brother sitting in front of you. “YOU BEST NOT BE DOING ANYTHING SHAMEFUL IN OUR NAME,” he warned with a growl to his voice while his gaze traveled to you. He paused for a moment, brow bone raised in silent query but was prevented from saying anything when Blue decided to speak. 

“Y/N! YOU LOOK MORE AWAKE NOW!” the friendly skeleton bounced over to the three of you, blue eye lights shifting into stars in his sockets. You ducked your head when he got too close too fast, biting your lip to keep from flinching. It didn’t appear that the four walking in had seen your little scare. “WOULD YOU LIKE SOME BREAKFAST? I’M SURE SANS AND RED DIDN’T OFFER...” he turned to give a glare at the two said skeletons. They had the decency to look sheepish at their forgetfulness—although Red was less-so. He just shrugged it off like it wasn’t any business of his...until Edge turned his own glare on him, and he started sweating bullets. 

This family had some wild dynamics... 

You gave a slow nod, still a tad out of it. That coffee one of the four had given you hadn’t been enough to wake you fully. Before anyone could say anything more, you gave a wide yawn, covering it behind your hands as tears gathered at the corners of your eyes. You rubbed the good one free of the unwanted saltwater, but the other was a bit more difficult being covered and all. 

“IS THAT A KNIFE WOUND?!” Black practically yelled, his already-loud voice even louder in the silence of the morning. Not expecting the shout, you jumped back instinctively. Thankfully, someone caught you before you could tumble backwards. Glancing up, you saw Ash’s concerned skull hovering over you. When had he gotten here? If he’d come from upstairs—where the bedrooms were—he would have had to pass directly in your line of sight. Your back was to the kitchen and the hallway that led to what you could see was a family room, no bedroom in sight. 

Maybe he’d been out in the garden and you simply hadn’t noticed? 

Ash set you back on your feet but wouldn’t let you stray too far as he reached for your face. You chewed your lip but opted not to move. You’d only known the giant skeleton for a little while, but you felt safe with him...well, safer than you felt with others. Your good eye was stuck on the giant crack in his skull that you hadn’t seen yesterday because of his hat. Now, however, he was clothed similarly to Sans and Red—T-shirt and lounge pants—with no hat in sight. Ash didn’t seem to mind your observation of his head wound, but he still hesitated before his fingers could touch your skin. 

“may i?” he spoke softly as if he thought any louder would spook you. You tilted your head a bit at his question, looking around at the others grouped close by—all trying to sneak a peek. You felt your cheeks flush hotly but decided to sign “yes”. If Black’s outburst had told you anything, it was that they had already gotten the basic gist of what had happened. It wasn’t anything you were trying to hide. It just got tiring to be on the receiving end of suspicious stares and conspiratorial whispers. 

You tried your best to ignore the gasps from some of those gathered in the room—mainly Papyrus and Blue. Carefully, as if fearful that you would shatter like glass, your gardening buddy peeled back the sticky tape which kept the medical patch in place. You forced yourself to remain still, not liking the way the adhesive pulled at your skin or the dull pain in the dead eye from messing with it. It stung when the air hit it, but nothing changed in your vison. Your sight was completely gone from that side. 

“damn, sweetcheeks...” Red was the first to speak. Without you noticing, he’d gotten close enough to be standing right by Ash’s side. His scarlet eye lights surveyed the damage that you could not see, flicking a couple of times to your vision-enabled eye for comparison. “that looks like a knife got you,” he repeated what Black had said, but he kept his eyes trained on your face. You glanced away, unable to hold his penetrating gaze any longer. “shit...” 

No one said a word after that, but you readied yourself for a rousing game of twenty questions while Ash made quick work of reapplying a fresh bandage from the first-aid kit he’d brought with him. He was one prepared skeleton. Maybe he’d had a similar experience to your own, if the crack in his skull was anything to go by? 

“picking at it will make the pain worse,” Ash advised after he’d finished. You hadn’t even realized that your hand had wandered up to the edge of the new patch. His fingers pulled on your wrist, the bones strangely warm against your chilled skin. 

“what’s everyone standing around for?” a faintly familiar voice called out into the stillness of the room. All attention went off you and towards the door where Rus stood...along with a certain human female who’d decided to follow along behind him. 

If you had a voice, you’d have been begging for your life by this point. The look on your sister’s face was anything but friendly as she glared straight at you, her blonde hair a mess from not having brushed it and the dark circles beneath her brown eyes clear to see against her pale skin. Either she’d woken up and flipped out over not finding you in the house and came rushing over here due to yesterday’s events, or Rus had just woken her up and dragged her over here much like Paps and Blue had done to you. You ducked behind Ash’s large frame and proceeded to run circles around the very-confused skeleton as your younger sister chased you. Your skeleton neighbors could only watch on in befuddled amazement. It wasn’t until some of the edgier ones started to get annoyed did your childish antics come to an end. 

Your feet flew out from under you as someone grabbed you by the waist, picking you up and holding you in the air. From the corner of your eye, you could see that your sibling had a similar experience. You blinked slowly, eye widening when you suddenly fell back when the one holding you decided to drop onto the couch backwards. Twisting in their arms, you came face to skull with Sans. 

“sorry, kid. looked like you could use a fall guy,” Sans apologized with a wink but didn’t let go of his hold around your waist. 

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Edge and Black barked in unison, eye lights focusing on your sister who was trapped in Rus’s arms. From your position on the couch, you could spot the angry expression on Jen’s face melt into one of confusion mixed with concern. She was just worried about you, you knew. She just had one hell of a temper...especially when woken up at such an ungodly hour... 

“Who the fuck are you?!” Jen growled in return. The bite in her words had the two skellies in black recoil in surprise, not expecting such attitude from a stranger in their own home. She was the polar opposite of you—tall, powerful, and aggressive. The similarities in appearance were the only things the two of you shared...seemingly. The younger girl may display dominance on the surface, but it was still you who was older and far more protective. Your aggression was just more passive than direct. While she was fire, you were ice. Sans acted like he was aware of that as his arms tightened around you when Edge took a step closer to your sibling. 

“she’s y/n’s younger sister, jen,” Rus cut in before Edge could open his mouth to say a single word. He received a withering glare for his efforts but just shrugged it off without a care. You rose a brow at the nonchalant way the anxiety-ridden guy you’d met just yesterday stood up to the most-intimidating of the lot without breaking a sweat. 

“let’s just...have breakfast...” Ash shook his head before he disentangled you from Sans’ hold and took you into the kitchen. You kept glancing back at your sister, worried despite yourself. Had you not texted her to let her know where you were? You thought you had, but, then again, it had been an eventful morning. “you okay?” Ash asked you, his blue and red eye lights glancing over at you while he dragged down some bowls and cereal boxes. Looks like it was going to be a lazy breakfast today, which was something you were fine with. 

You nodded your head, offering him a small smile. When your sister walked in, stiffly following a grinning Rus, you rushed over to give her a hug…before, promptly, checking her over for any injuries or things out of place. You ignored the looks you were getting from the skeletal family as they piled into the huge kitchen, too engrossed in making sure your kid sister was okay. 

“Stop, stop, stop!” Jen whined, prying your hands away from the attempt to smooth down her wild curls. A pout curved your lips, but you let her guide your hands back to your sides. “I forgive you for not telling me where you were, geez! I’m not a baby anymore, sis!” Despite her complaining, there was an obvious warmth in the way she spoke. Her smile was enough to put you at ease, but not enough to let you stray too far from her. 

“WILL YOU BE JOINING US FOR Y/N’S LESSON?” Papyrus asked the taller of the two humans, his eye lights bright. 

Jen looked confused for a minute, but then a glimmer of recognition passed over her face. “Oh! The sign language! If you don’t mind…” she trailed off, accepting the bowl of fruit loops Rus handed her. Ash gave you a bowl of your own; this one full of Cocoa Krispies. 

“Thank you!” you signed, happy with the chocolatey goodness that you hadn’t eaten in years. That blue blush from yesterday came back to spread over your friend’s cheekbones. You followed him back into the living room, your sister trailing behind with Rus bringing up the rear. Ash let you have the farthest corner of the sofa so you’d have full visual of the rest of the room. He settled next to you, then Jen next to him, and finally Rus. The others drifted in not long after with bowls of their own, although Blue, Paps, Edge, and Black seemed to have made hot oatmeal rather than cereal. 

Jen was quick to settle into a light chat with the skeletal family, particularly the taller ones. You let out a breath of relief at her calm state, glad that her initial burst of anger had passed now that she knew where you were and had some food in her belly. The rest of breakfast went quickly. Plans were made for lessons with you throughout the week, Jen helping with her input on what your schedule—or lack thereof—looked like. That got some looks, but, thankfully, no one asked questions. You and Jen were both grateful for that since it was hardly something that you wanted to discuss with near strangers. 

“WELL, NOW THAT THAT’S SETTLED, WE CAN GET STARTED ON OUR LESSON AFTER DISHES!” Papyrus announced with a flourish as he took to his feet. Wanting to be of help, you went ahead and gathered some of the bowls left on various surfaces alongside him and Blue. The other skeletons were also getting up and starting their day. “AH! WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP, Y/N?” With your hands full of dishware, you nodded your head at the tall monster, a smile on your face. 

“YOU’RE OUR GUEST! YOU DON’T HAVE TO,” Blue assured as you trailed after him into the kitchen. You just shook your head and shrugged. It made you anxious to sit on your bum and do nothing when you could offer your assistance. 

“so you wanna learn a new word, sweetcheeks?” Red’s voice from behind you made you jump. It was a good thing these skeletons waited until after you had set down the breakable stuff before scaring the shit out of you. 

You gave him a glare when you turned to huff silently at him, hands on hips and everything. You were feeling more at ease with him now that your belly was full and there weren’t as many eyes on you. His sharp grin just widened at your antics, seemingly amused. He made a motion with his hand, watching you expectantly...until someone’s screech broke his attention. 

“fuck...thought he left for work already,” Red muttered under his breath, shoving both hands into the pockets of his shorts as Edge stomped through the kitchen archway. 

“RED! WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE TO BE TEACHING THE HUMAN WORDS LIKE THAT!” he snapped at the shorter skeleton. Red just gave him an uneasy grin as he looked at anywhere but his brother. Droplets of red sweat started to dot his skull as his brother continued to berate him. “YOU ARE UNDER HOUSE ARREST UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!” 

“awe, c’mon, boss,” Red started to complain in a small voice, but was quickly shut down. Instead, he just shrugged, gave you a wink, and disappeared the second you glanced away at the sound of dishes being washed and dried. Your confusion as to his whereabouts was cut short when your sister decided to make her entrance into the kitchen. 

“Rus fell asleep on the couch,” she spoke through a yawn. “Also Sans and...Stretch?” she glanced at you for confirmation of the name. When you gave her a nod, she continued, “Yeah, they both vanished.” 

“TCH. PROBABLY TO GO TAKE NAPS SOMEWHERE,” Edge sneered. He gave you a look that you couldn’t decipher before his eye lights slid over to your sister which made you bristle. Somehow, the boney corners of his teeth quirked up and you caught his gaze return to you. “UNLIKE THOSE LAZY BAGS OF BONES, BLACK AND I HAVE JOBS TO GET TO.” With that announcement, he spun on his heel and left. Through the archway to the living room, Jen and you watched as he and Black headed out the door. Black, too, gave you a look over his shoulder that you couldn’t decipher. Before you could do anything more than tilt your head, they were already gone. 

“COME TO THINK OF IT, I NEED TO GO TO THE STORE,” Poplar’s voice carried on as he entered the kitchen, Ash hot on his heels. 

“i’ll go with ya, bro,” the shorter of the two suggested with a nervous grin, pulling on a grey beanie to cover his head crack. He was already dressed and ready for the day. “what do we...all need?” 

“PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING!” Poplar replied, typing furiously on his phone that you assumed was into a notes app for a shopping list. “SORRY FOR NOT STAYING FOR YOUR LESSON TODAY, Y/N AND JEN...” 

“Not a problem, Poppy,” Jen waved off his concern. You smiled at the fact that she’d already given one of their neighbors a nickname. She’d have to get more creative for the others, but Poplar’s was a simple one. 

“P-P-POPPY?” he stammered, an orange blush dusting his cheekbones. You couldn’t help but coo at his expression, but Jen just seemed puzzled. 

“Do you...not like it? I can stick with Poplar, I mean,” Jen suggested with a frown. 

“N-NO! I LIKE IT. I’M FINE WITH IT!” 

You and Ash were grinning like idiots, watching this awkward interaction between a lovestruck puppy and an oblivious girl-next-door. 

“we should get going, bro,” Ash urged, bringing the heavy atmosphere to an end. “talk to ya later...buddy,” he turned to you and shoved something into your hand before taking his brother’s arm and dragging him out the front door. 

“THAT’S THE FIRST TIME I’VE SEEN HIM MOVE SO FAST!” Blue piped up from the sink where he was finishing up the last of the dishes. You nodded in agreement before glancing down at the crumpled paper in your palm. It was a phone number hastily scribbled with the words “if you ever want to talk” on it in blue pen and Ash’s name. Something you hadn’t felt in a long time fluttered in your chest and you plugged the number into your phone before you could forget. You now had four contacts in your address book, not counting your doctor. You even gave him “flower buddy” as his nickname, right below your sister’s “golden child”. 

“ARE YOU READY, FRIEND Y/N?” Blue asked with a bashful smile, his gloved hands playing with the handkerchief around his neck. Apparently, he also wanted to give somebody a nickname, and he’d chosen you to test it on. Although “friend” was a new one you hadn’t heard before… It was a welcome change. 

You nodded at him, signing a “yes” quickly before he could parrot the phrase “practice makes perfect” like he’d done plenty of times the day prior. 

The four of you spent hours learning and taking notes in journals that Paps and Blue provided. They had even supplied snacks when you and your sister’s bellies gave away the fact that you were hungry again. Before long, it was time for your sister and you to leave so that Jen could get ready for her shift at work. 

A shame, really. You were enjoying your time with these two…and your sister was, too, no matter how much she tried to hide it. 

“AW, I WISH YOU COULD STAY LONGER,” Blue whined, his grin falling a little. “JUST MAKE SURE TO STUDY THOSE WORDS AND PRACTICE THE MOVEMENTS, OKAY?” he was quick to recover and shift into “teacher mode”, as you were calling it. In fact, that was your nickname for him, now. 

“Yes, teacher,” you signed, hesitating a little as you tried to recall the correct motions and formations of your hands. Your reward was a light-blue dusting of magic over his cheekbones. You smiled at how cute he looked with it, especially so when he turned away while rubbing the back of his skull as if embarrassed. 

“YOU AS WELL, TALL FRIEND JEN,” Papyrus bellowed as he shook said human’s hand. With how energetically he had done so, it was a miracle he hadn’t ripped her arm off. 

After saying your farewells—and receiving a tupperware full of extra cookies—you and your sibling were out the door and on your way back to your place. Thanks to her long legs and urgency to get a much-needed shower in before work, Jen was already at the halfway point by the time you’d stepped off the skeletons’ porch. You were delayed further when someone’s voice called your name. Turning around, you saw Red leaning up against the side of his house, a lit cigarette clenched between his pointed teeth. 

“leaving already, sweetcheeks?” he chuckled when your eye followed the red smoke as it drifted upwards from his magic cigarette. “don’cha wanna know a little secret?” he purred, curling a finger at you to urge you closer. Despite yourself, you gave in to your curiosity and took a couple of steps nearer to the red-garbed skeleton, not missing the way his grin sharpened as you did so. Expecting an attack of some sort, you had to force yourself not to tense up when he pushed off from the wall. He flicked the cancer stick away—or was it not cancer since it was magic?—and reached a hand towards your face. He hesitated when you recoiled a bit, but continued when you made no move to slap his limb away. 

“the first sign was ‘bastard’ and the second was ‘bitch’,” he informed, his face unreadable while he pushed your bangs away from your damaged eye. After letting your hair fall back to conceal it once more, his expression shifted to a shit-eating grin. “figured you’d be using them a lot for me and some of the other guys.” And with that, he turned from you to head back into the house, a wave of his hand the only indication of a farewell. 

You stood still for a moment, your brain trying to comprehend what had just happened. You could still feel the brush of bone against skin, and you couldn’t shake the hot blush from your face. It wasn’t until yet another person called your name that you snapped out of it. 

“Hey, I’m glad I caught you!” Alice—the neighbor across the street—smiled at you as she jogged up. You froze as that familiar fear crawled its way into your consciousness. It wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but it was close enough for your muscles to tense and for you to start feeling clammy. She seemed oblivious to it, though, fortunately or unfortunately for you. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something!” 

You eyed her warily, steeling yourself for whatever she was about to throw at you. She appeared nice enough, but you’d learned plenty of times that could just be a front to something ugly. 

“Would you want to help me date the skeletons?” 

…what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a tumblr, if anyone is interested: https://Or13M.tumblr.com


	3. Alice

“so…you want to learn asl, too, buddy?” Sans questioned the girl sitting beside you on the couch. He was draped across his favorite armchair, legs hanging off one armrest while his upper body was propped up by the other. The dark circles beneath his sockets seemed darker than normal. Concern flickered in your chest, but it was quickly forgotten when a touch to your left shoulder drew your attention away. 

Ash stood there, his red and blue eye lights focused on your face. After a couple of weeks of being neighbors and seeing each other every day, the big and reclusive gardener had become incredibly good at reading you. He could see the way your muscles tensed, how your eye flickered here and there, and the slight turn of your head when you strained to keep sight of the space at your back. This wasn’t the normal spot you would sit while at the skeleton household. This was just where Alice had dragged you to. 

Without a word, Ash gathered you up in his arms and took a couple of steps to the far end of the sectional that was against the corner of the room. He plopped down on that spot, settling you in his lap so that you could keep visual of all entrances and exits. Like magic, your anxiety melted away and you allowed the smell of freshly dug earth and plants blanket you. 

“well, that’s one way to carry a conversation,” Sans chuckled in his deep baritone of a voice, his grin more strained than usual. You didn’t fail to notice the beads of translucent blue sweat slipping down his skull. Your eye narrowed at that. Red had a similar condition, but his, you had concluded, appeared to be an everyday circumstance. Sans’, however, was not. 

“UGH! YOU AND YOUR INCESSANT PUNS!” a familiar voice drawled from the kitchen doorway. All eyes snapped to Black as he stood there, holding two steaming cups and a scowl on his skull. “YOU ARE WORSE THAN MY BROTHER, AT THIS POINT.” 

“I like it,” I signed without thinking. It was one of the few things I could say fluidly since it was one of the very first sentences Blue and Paps had taught me. My skeletal teachers had praised my memorization skills, but my coordination was poor. I could understand many things communicated to me with ASL, but my hands had trouble doing what my brain told them to do. 

Sans and Stretch had theorized that it may have something to do with whatever had caused my injuries. They weren’t stupid. They knew something more had happened than just a schoolyard scuffle… 

“DO YOU NOT WANT YOUR MORNING LATTE?” Black frowned, pulling back one of the mugs before you could snatch it. At your pout, he grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the morning light. You made grabby hands at him not unlike a child, your waist locked in place by two powerful arms that weren’t about to release you anytime soon. “PATHETIC…” he finally relented, a soft violet dusting his cheekbones when he handed you your sweet, sweet nectar of life. 

“cute…” Ash’s chest rumbled against your back, making your face heat up from the impromptu compliment. Normally, physical contact made you squeamish and unsettled, but with these monsters, it had the total opposite effect. Warmth would bubble up from the depths of your soul every time Ash would hold you like this. It left you feeling safe and grounded, things you hadn’t experienced in quite some time...if ever. You’d grown to crave it and would seek out your best friend for his cuddles. 

“you’re puntastic, kiddo,” Sans spoke up from the chair, his grin not as tight and his face more relaxed. “you the sub for the day, black?” he directed the question at the newest skeleton to enter the room. 

Black took the chair closest to Ash and you—the furthest he could get from the enigma known as “Alice”. His purple eye lights never left the girl as he lifted his coffee to his teeth and took a sip. “I AM ONE OF HER TEACHERS, VANILLA,” he returned with a bite to his words. 

That was something else you’d taken note of. Edge, Black, Red, and even Rus would call Sans “Vanilla” rather than his given name; while Blue, Stretch, Ash, and Poplar used “Classic”. Every now and then, one of the other skeletons would even call Papyrus “Creampuff” or “Cream”, but it was far less often than Sans’ nickname. You had no idea why; and you didn’t have the courage to ask for details after Edge had given you a terrifying glare when you’d stared at him for saying it one time. None of the others seemed to have a nickname, other than the occasional “ashtray” for Stretch. The lazy giant acted like a chimney with how much he smoked those magic cigarettes of his… 

“heh, that’s a sharp tongue you got there, black.” Although his words were playful, you could tell right away that something was up with Sans. Alice giggled from her spot on the couch, not having noticed the tense atmosphere growing between the two skeleton monsters. So similar in appearance, but so different in personality. You, however, had a sixth sense for another’s emotional state pounded into you at an early age…and it was going off like warning bells in your head right now. 

Your fingers tightened on Ash’s arms when Black opened his mouth to growl at his laidback cousin. Before the coffee-loving pile of bones could say a word, Red popped up out of nowhere right behind the couch where Alice sat. He seemed confused, at first—his red eye lights passing from one person to the next—before coming to some sort of realization. 

“what did i miss?” he drawled in his heavily-accented voice, eye lights flashing straight to you. 

“Oh! Red, right?” Alice piped up, whipping her head around to find the source of the new voice. “Hey! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” You couldn’t really see it, but you could guess that there was a great big grin on her face when she stared up at the fleshless monster standing behind her. 

“uh, yeah?” he glanced down at her before looking back up at you, confusion once again furrowing his brow bones. 

“A-L-I-C-E,” you fingerspelled, figuring that he’d forgotten her name after two weeks of meeting her. You didn’t understand why it had taken so long for the girl to accompany you to the skeleton household when she’d been so keen on dating them. When asked, she’d weasel her way out of explaining with a simple “just because”. 

“whatcha doin’ here, alice?” he flashed her a nervous grin. Nervous to you, at least. Alice took it as an invitation to flirt. 

“Well, I just wanted to get to know my cute new neighbors,” she explained with a wink, flipping her pink-dyed curls over her shoulder. 

Like a switch had flipped, Red went from uncertain and suspicious to confident and flirty. “is that so?” he purred, shoving his hands into the pockets of his red and black coat, and relaxing his defensive stance. “don’t know ‘bout ‘cute’, but i am quite the bonely man.” 

You watched as Alice laughed at his skeleton pun before deciding to return your attention to the two others who’d been poking at each other’s nerves just moments before. You came eye to eye light with Sans’ stare, causing you to pause. The white lights that made up his pupils appeared fuzzier and larger than usual. They took up just over half of the otherwise empty sockets in his skull...and they were focused solely on you... 

“You okay?” you asked with your hands since you had his attention. At your movements, he seemed to snap out of whatever trancelike state he was in. With a sheepish grin and more of that strange magic sweat gathering on his bones, Sans signed a quick “yes” in return. Concern had you worrying your bottom lip with your teeth, but you couldn’t say any more now that he was purposefully avoiding your gaze. With a silent huff, you decided to just drink your coffee as you leaned back into your best friend’s larger body. 

“Are the two of you dating or something?” Alice’s voice shattered the content moment you were having. 

The question was unexpected, but it did not lessen the blood rushing into your cheeks from the sheer embarrassment of it. Luckily, you retained some of your dignity by not swallowing your hot beverage down the wrong tube. The last thing you needed was to be choking and causing a mess on their fuzzy white rug...and in front of one of the most obsessed among them when it came to cleanliness... 

Speaking of Black, he was already taking your drink away so you wouldn’t spill it all over his immaculately kept floor. You made a face at him, but he just rolled his eyes in response. 

“no...?” Ash answered the girl’s question from above you. You could feel his chin settling on the top of your head as he pulled you closer to his chest. You let him hug you like a teddy bear. It was a silent understanding between the two of you that you were both touch-starved and desperate for some sort of grounding. Luckily, you found that in one another. 

“I’M SURE THEY EACH HAVE THEIR REASONS,” Black interrupted just as Alice went to open her mouth again. Her jaw snapped shut and those pretty, brown eyes of hers gave you a look that made the hairs on the back of your neck bristle. 

You...still weren’t sure what to make of your human neighbor... 

“the big guy’s just bean feeling a latte stress lately,” Red grinned widely at you and the cuddly skeleton behind you, his crimson pupils drifting off to the steaming mug sitting abandoned on the side table between you and Black. 

“you saying he’s feeling a little...despressod?” Sans was quick to jump in on the pun train, his tired grin lifting a little. 

A smile appeared on your face at the puns, and you could feel the chuckles coming from Ash from where he was pressed against your back. Twisting around the best you could, you tapped his cheekbone to get his attention. 

“Don’t worry, be F-R-A-P-P-E,” you signed at him, having to fingerspell the coffee pun since you didn’t know the word for it—or if there even was one. It took a moment, but soon enough the greenskeeper of the family was laughing outright...as were Sans and Red who had seen your movements. 

“good one, kiddo,” Sans chuckled. 

Black rolled his eye lights, but the grin on his skull gave away his amusement. “YOU LOT ARE RUBBING OFF ON HER TOO MUCH.” 

Red perked up at his cousin’s words, his expression changing from cheerful to downright sinful. “oh, i wouldn’t mind rubbing off on ya, sweetcheeks,” he purred with a sly wink and wide grin. 

Your cheeks started to burn at the suggestive comment, but you just rolled your eye at him. Sexual innuendos and jokes were nothing new to you. 

“THAT WAS IN POOR TASTE, YOU DISGUSTING DOG,” Black growled, his grin now a disapproving frown. “AND YOU!” You jumped when he rounded on you. “YOU SHOULD BE MORE ASSERTIVE WITH SUCH BEHAVIOR!” 

“i can work with that, too,” Red’s comment was promptly ignored, save a quick glare at him by his temperamental cousin. 

“...we should get to buttercup’s lessons...” Ash suggested. His soft voice was quite effective in halting any further arguments among the monster family. You had no idea how he managed it, but no one dared to go against your gardening buddy when he decided to speak up about something. 

You flashed him a grateful smile, your anxiety levels dropping back to where they normally were. With his help, you got to your feet. Black silently handed you your coffee before leading you into the dining area next to the kitchen. The table held all sorts of books, papers, and writing utensils, all neatly set up and prepared. Black would make an excellent—if not strict—teacher... 

“THERE’S SOMETHING I WANT TO CHECK FIRST,” Black spoke just as you went to sit down at your usual chair next to the wall. “MAY I SEE YOUR EYE?” He waited patiently for your response, not making any move to get closer or to grab you. You and Ash glanced at each other, curious at his cousin’s motives. At the slight incline of your best bud’s head, you took a step closer to Black while taking off the medical patch. The breath caught in your throat when you felt the cool fabric of his gloves lift your chin up so that he could better see your face. You stood there, nerves eating away at you, as he surveyed the damage. 

“Where’d you get the scars?” Alice questioned unexpectedly. Your good eye drifted away from the keen violet eye lights right in front of you and over towards the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living room. The pink-haired girl stood there; arms crossed as if she was hugging herself while her pink-stained lips pulled into a frown. Red was just behind her, leaning against the entrance without a care in the world...although one of his eye lights was on you. 

After Black finished with whatever he was doing and stepped away, you pulled one of the notebooks closer to you and jotted down the basics of what had happened. Ash took it after you’d finished, reading it off for the benefit of the others in the room. Sans had appeared in the chair next to you and helped you replace the bandage as his larger lookalike recited what you’d written. 

“got cornered by thugs with my sister…and fought them off,” he read the overly simplified explanation. His multicolored eyes grew concerned when he looked at you. Sans, Red, and even Black had similar expressions, although they were more guarded. 

“was this back where you and your sister came from?” Sans managed to squeeze out between clenched teeth. The sweat on his skull seemed to worsen and the light in his right eye socket had faded considerably, yet the left appeared to brighten... 

You nodded in reply, tilting your head in curiosity at what could be going through his head right now. He was not looking good at all, and it was making you want to demand he go to the doctor or something. Red swooped in before you could say anything though. 

“stars, sweetcheeks,” he was suddenly directly in front of you, shoving a disgruntled Black out of the way in his rush to get to you. “hope ya gave as good as ya got...or worse.” The bones of his fingers felt warm against the flesh of your left cheek. You could feel his thumb caress the torn skin below the bandage, light enough to not cause pain but that didn’t stop the tingle of something from sparking in your chest. You refrained from rubbing at your sternum. You’d heard about souls from monster forums on the internet—even though they still had their own version called the “Undernet”, many had flooded the human web to spread awareness—but you couldn’t understand why yours had been acting strangely as of late. 

Realizing you hadn’t responded to him, you quickly gave Red a nod, holding back a flinch. You had certainly given back what you got and then some...but not intentionally... 

“that’s ma girl.” Red grinned, then realized what he said and snapped his hands away from you. He started sweating heavily, eye lights flashing briefly to Sans as he sputtered out that he was just joking. Sans just gave him an easy grin, although it was strained, and he had his eyes shut so you couldn’t tell what his eye lights were doing now. 

Was that...a wisp of smoke coming out of his left eye? 

“ENOUGH WITH THIS NONSENSE! WE NEED TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE.” Black was quick to shut down the conversation and whatever was brewing between Sans and Red. Once Black got down to business, you’d expected Red and Sans to make themselves scarce, like usual, however, they both sat down at the large table and just...stayed. Ash, of course, did the same, but that was a normal occurrence. Alice sat closer to Red at the opposite end of the table from you, Sans, and Ash, while Black remained standing so that he could grab whatever reference material he needed. 

The morning flew by with few interruptions by the rest of the members of the household. Black’s temper was a well-known phenomenon, so no one wanted to spark it. Luckily, he seemed to be in a decent mood because he remained patient with you when your hands had trouble relaying the information your brain sent them. Ash helped you the best he could, assuring you that you’d get it after enough practice. His words calmed your frustration, especially when Sans pointed out that the gardener would know best about such situations while tapping meaningfully at his skull. 

You supposed a hole in your head would have some sort of repercussions. 

“My brain hurts...” Alice whined from where she was faceplanted into the table, her hands clutching her head. 

“that’s black for ya,” Red mumbled beneath his breath, giving an awkward grin at said skeleton when he turned to give him a glower. 

You started to reach for your journal—which lay amongst the pile of paperwork and books—but it was snatched away before you could take it. Purple eye lights met your pout when you looked up at your instructor for the day. 

And you were so close, too... 

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE SNEAKIER THAN THAT TO GET PAST ME, PET,” he taunted, waving your precious leather notebook in the air just to further spite you. “YOU’LL GET THIS BACK WHEN YOU CAN COMMUNICATE ADEQUATELY WITHOUT IT.” 

You puffed your cheeks up like an anime character—a trait you’d picked up from the avalanche of Japanese comics and tv shows you’d delved into in your younger days. 

A boney finger poked the side of your face until the trapped air escaped. You glanced over to see Ash grinning at you. Unable to help yourself, you smiled back. You could go without your journal for a couple of weeks. Black had only taken it this morning and you trusted him enough to believe his sworn statement of not snooping through your personal belongings. Besides, you’d agreed to the strict way of teaching that Black—and the others—had warned you about. You had been desperate to overcome this lack of communication with others and relying on your notebook as a crutch could be seen as a hindrance to your learning. 

Looks like you were in for a lot of practice in your free time... 

“Ooh! I have an idea!” 

You all turned to look at Alice as she suddenly perked up from her spot on the dining room table. Her dark-brown eyes were on you and Ash, a smile on her face. “How ‘bout a night out to loosen up after all this hard work?” 

You quirked a brow at that, good eye glancing down at her untouched notebook. There were doodles in the margins but not of any hand signs or motions. Little anime eyes, hearts, and scribbled words were all you could see on the otherwise pristine surface. The notebook in front of you, however, was filled to the brim with notes, carefully drawn hands, arrows for movement, and little inputs from Ash for extra advice and encouragement. Black was already going through it and removing the excess paper so that you couldn’t use it to just write out what you wanted to say to someone. He had only been interacting with you for the past couple of days, but you could already tell that he was one thorough (and tough) instructor. 

“heh. a night out, huh?” Red repeated, dropping his chin into his hand while he rested his elbow on the table. One eye was closed while the other watched Alice for further elaboration. “what did ya have in mind, doll?” 

At the pet name, the grin on the girl’s face grew larger and some pink flushed her cheeks. “Well...I know this bar...” 

You haven’t been out of your own house unless it was to head over to the skeletons’ place. Already the pressure in your chest was starting to build as several bad scenarios went through your head one after another. Through the rush of blood in your ears, you caught snippets of your name and your sister’s in the conversation among Red, Alice, and Black. Sans was asleep and Ash remained silent, as usual. You started to chew on your lip. 

You had a bad feeling about this...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alice is loosely based off of someone I know in real life. She's...well, don't really know what to make of her which is why I thought exploring that character in this story could be interesting.
> 
> Something is up with Sans. He is getting snappy with everybody...except you, of course. ^.^
> 
> Apologies if anyone sounds out of character here. Like I said, I'm kinda molding them to what I've read in the past, so these are my renditions, more or less. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> I really never know what to put in these notes here. -.-;;


	4. A Bar and a Backstory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the guys learn a bit more about you...and some drunk jocks have a b a d t i m e . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S-P-A-C-E-S L-I-K-E T-H-I-S = y/n is fingerspelling words she doesn't know how to sign or words that are too difficult for her to sign yet.

Your leg just wouldn’t stop moving! 

You sat in the booth next to your sister, your other side occupied by a snoozing Sans, and your leg was bouncing up and down a mile a minute! 

“stars, kiddo,” Sans abruptly spoke, breaking you out of the staring contest you were having with the basket of biscuits sitting oh-so-innocently in the center of the table. “you’re baking me nervous. wheat’s up?” 

His bad puns had your mouth twisting into a smile, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The busy atmosphere in the bar was too intense for you to stay calm and loose, especially without your protective teddy bear. Neither Ash nor Poplar felt comfortable enough to get out amongst these sorts of crowds, so they had remained home. You didn’t either, but Alice had left you no choice. Jen had been dragged along, too, mainly for your benefit, but you had no intentions of leaving her alone in a place you were unfamiliar with. This was not the same establishment that your sister worked at with her two hotheaded bosses. 

It didn’t help matters that it was a Friday night, which it meant it was busier than normal. 

“People,” you signed back at him, looking around at all of them. The majority were humans, but there were some monsters milling about. The building was nowhere close to full capacity, but it was crowded enough to put you on edge. Thankfully, you and Jen had snagged a corner booth near the barkeep. With the way it was made, it easily sat eight people—human or monster—with an open side that left enough space for three chairs to be pulled up to it. It made for a crowded experience, but it worked...until someone needed to get out of the booth that couldn’t just teleport away... 

“Everything’s fine. We’re fine. I’m fine,” Jen spoke in a low voice, but loud enough for you and those close enough to hear. Your good eye glanced over at her to make certain that her words were true. Logically, you knew that you were both safe. If not for the fact that this was a good city with a good track record when it came to low crime rates, then the multiple monster friends surrounding the pair of you was a good start. 

Emotionally, on the other hand... 

Your head was a mess of horrible scenarios and worse outcomes. You were still in the process of healing and your insides were a mess of bruised bones and organs. If something happened again like the situation from a couple of months ago, then you weren’t sure if your weakened body would be capable of standing between the danger and your precious sibling... 

That was not something that you were willing to let your guard down for. 

“hey, sweetcheeks, we get what it’s like to be on edge all the time,” Red spoke from the opposite side of Sans as he leaned on the table, a bottle of mustard in his hands. Sans had the ketchup cradled in his arms beside you but was running the phalanges of his free hand along your thigh to calm you down. Red’s scarlet eyes didn’t miss the motion and they narrowed at the skeleton sitting next to him, but he didn’t speak on it. 

“We got the drinks!” Alice announced her presence when she pranced her way back to the table with her prizes. Beside her, Edge, Black, Paps, and Blue—the more-active of the eight skeletons here—had bottles of booze and plenty of glasses balanced in their arms. From behind the group, you could spot the bartender watching with sweat on his brow at the precarious load the guys carried. You couldn’t say that you blamed him, but it did put you at ease to see the concern on the man’s face. It probably meant that damaged property wasn’t a common occurrence in this place. That was a good sign. 

Some of your nerves settled at that thought. 

“I FIND IT AMUSING THAT YOU LIKE COFFEE-FLAVORED LIQUOR, PET” Black piped up with a sharp grin on his skull when he set down a whole bottle of Kahlua’s coffee liqueur onto the table in front of you. You turned to your sister and gave her a look. 

“What? He asked what you liked, and I told him. Would do you good to loosen up a bit tonight, little sis,” she taunted with a sly grin of her own. 

Your cheeks heated up at the embarrassing nickname she’d given you for your height difference despite being the eldest. 

“having a small problem there, kiddo?” Sans snickered beside you, his finger bones stilling on your leg beneath the table. You tried to poke his hand off you, but it wouldn’t budge. 

“well, ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” Stretch chastised in a good-natured way from the booth seat next to Red. His top half laid sprawled on the table, and he looked half-asleep. If it wasn’t for his white eye lights peeking through the cracks of his sockets, you’d have assumed he was. 

Your hand started tugging at the bandages over your left eye. Sans’ fingers curled around your wrist much like Ash’s would, stopping your nervous habit in its tracks. You didn’t even acknowledge him when he did so, your good eye staying trained on a group of guys a couple of tables away from you and your group. They weren’t being obvious about it, but you could see the way they kept glancing over every now and then, their eyes flashing with something you knew quite well. 

You could feel the danger in the air grow with every second that passed, your muscles tightening every instance you caught their gazes on your sister, Alice, or yourself. You forced yourself to calm down, however, trying not to stare at the human males. More times than not, that would just encourage them... 

“Oh! It’s karaoke night! That sounds fun, right?” Alice squealed, her delighted gaze sweeping over the table of monsters and humans. All eyes drifted to you and you had to wave off the concern, cheeks burning at the unwanted attention. You didn’t mind listening to them sing. Being unable to speak at least got you out of having to go up stage and do it yourself, so this was a perk in your books. “Oh, right...um...” 

“Go. Have fun,” you signed at her, Blue and Paps translating for you when she looked confused. Her smile returned and she bounced off to the stage where the crew was setting up the equipment. She was certainly in her element. Your gaze went to the young men you were keeping a watch on, eyeing how they ogled your neighbor as she went. From the corner of your vision, you took note of Blue, Paps, and even Stretch trailing after. You let out a breath of relief, glad that the unsavory men had yet to make a move and that those three had went to accompany the girl. Though you had a feeling Stretch did so to keep close to his older brother. 

“Drink and calm down,” Jen ordered from beside you, shoving a glass full of your coffee liquor into your hands. You’d been so engrossed in your survey of your surroundings that you hadn’t even noticed her pouring you a glass. Trying your best to shake off the discomfort, you started to sip at the surprisingly chilled alcohol. How it was cold was beyond you since you could have sworn that the barkeep had all the bottles of his inventory out on display behind him, but you wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. The bite of alcohol in your mouth was evened out by the smooth coffee flavor. You were not a drinker by any means, but your sister had a point. Taking a night to enjoy yourself was a good idea, you supposed. 

“you going to get up on stage, sweetness?” Rus asked Jen from her other side. She hummed a “nah”, clarifying that she was not interested in singing in public. They continued to talk about random things, Edge and the others interjecting every now and then. You were content to just sit back and savor your drink, relaxing further into the cushioned seat when it became clear that no one was going to approach your table while the guys were here. 

“WE WILL SURELY WIN!” Edge announced out of the blue, startling you from your content state. 

Perking up in your seat, you watched as he and Black bickered back and forth about some competition they had abruptly decided on. Their brothers were beside them, both fidgeting in place and sweating bullets but keeping up their guard dog appearances. 

“AS IF! WE WILL!” Black snapped back, the cocky grin slipping onto his face displaying all the confidence in the world. 

“What’s going on?” you asked your sister after getting her attention. 

“They’re going to have a karaoke competition, apparently,” Jen explained with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “There’s some kind of prize with a pasta dish, but I’m not sure?” 

“Oooookay...” you mouthed, not sure what was going on but more than willing to sit back and watch this show play out. 

You, Jen, and Sans watched as your friends and family each had their turn at the mic. You clapped when you could, Jen cheering from her spot, while Sans waved, clapped, and cheered when his brother took the stage. The alcohol was starting to make you overheated, but Sans was right beside you to prevent you from shrugging off your black and purple pullover. He may have caught a flash of skin underneath to realize that you didn’t have a shirt on underneath it... 

“this is nudes to me,” Sans grinned, sweat pouring down his skull which you found fascinating. You weren’t drunk, but you were feeling a little lightheaded. “didn’t realize you were a tease when you drank, kiddo.” His eye lights were large and fuzzy just like this morning, but it looked like they kept shifting as if trying to form different shapes rather than the circles they were now. It reminded you of when Blue’s would slip into those pretty blue stars... 

“I’m hot,” you defended, the heat in your cheeks helping clarify that fact. You could’ve sworn you heard him grunt an agreement, but his voice was so soft that you weren’t certain. 

“Eep! Hey!” Alice’s voice cut through the normal bustle of the tavern, drawing your attention to where she stood on the complete opposite side of the building. Every skeleton was there with her, but no one seemed to know what was going on if the confused expressions on their skulls were anything to go by. 

Sans let out a sigh, giving the hand he still had a hold of a gentle squeeze before telling you he’d be right back. He then popped out of existence, reappearing beside Red who gave a slight jump at his sudden appearance. It was hard to tell from this distance, but it looked like Alice was chewing out a table of guys sitting beside the stage. To be fair, they also looked very confused and were openly staring at the infuriated young lady. You assumed the wet spot on the front of her skirt which hadn’t been there prior must have something to do with her ire... 

Almost the second Sans had left to go see what had happened with Alice and the others, the trio at the table you’d been watching hopped to their feet and started to make their way over. 

You were unable to speak or even growl at the men, but you were plenty capable of glaring at them. An uncomfortable warmth sprang into your chest, sparking a raging fire just beneath your ribcage but you didn’t care. Your single working eye narrowed at the obviously drunk youths as they sauntered closer to your booth. The imminent danger presented to your younger sibling had you disregarding the nervous glances coming from the monsters in the establishment in your direction. Your soul burned all the hotter when the drunkards stopped at your table, leaning heavily onto its wooden surface. Whether it was for support or “cool” points, you didn’t know nor did you care. One of your hands had a protective grip on your sister’s wrist while the other was tearing gashes into the pleather of your seat. 

“Hey, yo.” As he spoke, the stink of beer washed over the two of you, making your sister crinkle her nose in disgust while you continued to give him a murderous glare. One that he either ignored or was too drunk to even notice. “Me and my buds saw ya two babes over here and we was wonderin’ if ya wanted to join someone who could give ya a real good time.” He smirked, white teeth flashing in the low light of the bar. Jen rolled her eyes while you struggled to not rip his throat out, but it was getting harder to control your instincts, especially with how close he was to your only family. You’d have to crawl over the table to get to him while Jen was right next to the opening that he blocked. 

You’ve moved quicker with greater distance than this... 

Your muscles tightened further, like a spring ready to snap. Your gaze steady on him rather than his two friends who were giggling like drunk sorority sisters behind him. Your eye darkened when he leaned in closer, his blue eyes flicking between you both but not really seeing how much danger he was putting himself in by doing so. 

“Not interested,” was your sister’s short but firm reply. For a moment, the guy looked shocked and confused. Probably not used to being rejected, judging by how “socially-acceptable” his looks were. Then there was a flash of something you were quick to latch onto because you noticed it was a warning sign. 

Before anything terrible could happen, Sans, Red, and Rus blipped into existence between you, your sister, and your new “friends”. Sans had a hold of you since you were suddenly out of the booth and inches away from the blonde male when he stumbled back. Had Red and Rus not yanked the dude off when they had, he’d have an iron grip on his jugular courtesy of you and your fast reflexes. Your expression was dark and your eye wild. You’d seen that hand of his heading for your sister’s face... 

“whoops. looks like you fell flat with that one, man,” Rus jeered, his expression harder than you’d ever seen it. Red mirrored him, his golden tooth glinting in the dim fluorescents. 

By this point, Black had joined Sans in restraining you. It wasn’t obvious, but you were still quite tense and struggling to regain control of your emotions. The only thing that was stopping you from fighting off your friends and going for the guy’s throat was that he hadn’t managed to touch your sister. The facts that you still had a buzz from the alcohol and was tired to boot helped. 

Still needed two monsters to keep you in place, though. You’d have to brag about this later...if you ever had the courage to bring it up. 

“Y/N?” Blue finally joined the fray, his brother right behind him. While Stretch kept his glare on the three drunk humans who looked ready to throw down for being dragged through the verbal mud by Red and Rus, his older brother kept his focus on you. “Are You Okay?” he asked, his blue eye lights dropping down to your chest before glancing back to your eye. His brow bones creased in concern. 

With your bone friends back beside you, you started to feel the heat in your chest ebb away. It did so slowly, but at least it did. Unfortunately, it left behind an ache that you knew wouldn’t be leaving any time soon... 

“Sorry,” you sign once you get your hands back, gaze dropping to the floor once the trio of drunks were tossed out of the bar by the barkeep. Guess they were looking for an excuse to get rid of them with how quickly they’d taken care of the situation. Frankly, you were surprised by how friendly the employees and patrons were being to your little group. You’d half expected to get thrown out yourselves since you personally knew how racist some humans could be. Looks like you all managed to find a little diamond in the rough here. 

“what do ya gotta apologize for, sweetcheeks?” Red asked, pulling your face up to meet his. “ya didn’t do anything. those assholes should be begging for your forgiveness.” 

“i’m with him,” Rus nodded his head at Red, more relaxed now that the threat was out of the vicinity although he remained on alert. You could see both of their eyes scanning the area for any further problems. 

“Never Felt An Aura Quite Like That Before,” Black mumbled beside you, one of his gloved hands petting the top of your head like a dog. Oddly, you didn’t find yourself all that bothered by it. “Especially Coming From A Human.” His eye lights drifted to you. You just gave him a curious look, not sure of what he was going on about. 

“Hey, you guys okay?” Alice came rushing over from wherever she had disappeared to. You’d lost track of her with the whole ordeal of those idiots approaching your table. “Something happen? I saw some guys being thrown out when I came out of the bathroom...” 

Well, that answers the question of her whereabouts. 

“yeah, doll, everything’s just peachy,” Red reassured, hooking an arm around the girl’s neck before heading towards the door. You could smell Alice’s peach schnapps from here. “we should leaf now, though. i’m board to death in this place.” 

Everyone else was in silent agreement. Rus would have copied Red’s actions with Jen as his recipient if the blonde hadn’t cuddled into your side and grabbed your hand like the little kid she used to be. You could feel her telltale trembles from what had nearly occurred, something that stirred your protective instincts all the farther. You lead her out the door, keeping a watchful eye out alongside your skeletal comrades while trying your best to comfort your younger sibling with whatever gestures, hugs, and hand-holding that you could. Too bad she was far too big now to give her a piggyback ride. In the past, that would always cheer her up...even when her feet would drag on the ground, you’d struggle through it if only to see her smile. 

The trip home passed in silence. You, Jen, Rus, Edge, Black, and Red all piled into Edge’s fancy, black car; while Alice, Stretch, Blue, Paps, and Sans went into Paps’ pretty, red convertible. Jen curled into you in the middle of the backseat, Red on your side while Rus was on Jen’s. Black and Edge sat up front, one or the other glancing back every now and again to make certain the human girls were still alive. None of them had seen the tall blonde look so shaken or vulnerable before; and you weren’t sure yourself about the whole ordeal. While you certainly had your demons to deal with, you were more concerned for those of your sister. Clearly, it was time to look up the therapist that she’d insisted that she didn’t need... 

You were close to falling asleep by the time the car pulled into your neighbors’ driveway, your fingers pulling through your sister’s curls in a soothing manner. Red tapped your shoulder, pulling you slightly back. When he saw how easily you followed his movements, he dragged you the rest of the way out his open side. You watched as Rus did the same with your sister who’d fallen asleep due to your ministrations. Instead of feeling that instinctual fear clawing its way out of your chest, you felt a soothing warmth settle there. You curled into Red’s arms when he picked you up in a princess carry. He hadn’t even bothered to let you try to stand and walk on your own. Truthfully, you probably could but it would be more of a sleepwalk and the last time you’d done that, you’d hit your head hard on the metal frame of the top bunk... 

“they fell asleep?” a voice you recognized but couldn’t put a name to thanks to the haze in your head asked the one who carried you. 

“well, her sister did. Sweetheart’s still semi-conscious.” 

“They Can Stay Overnight, Can’t They?” someone who was usually-loud spoke as softly as they could. You appreciated their attempts. 

“heh. yeah, sure... alice already went home, so...” 

You stopped listening in at this point, your mind drifting in and out of consciousness. Your limbs felt like lead and sleep dragged your thoughts down into its murky depths... 

. 

. 

. 

...and yet... 

You awoke with a start, your breathing fast and your chest burning. Fear of something clawed at your mind, but you couldn’t remember what it was that you were running from. Your eye flashed here and there in the dark, seeing nothing but blackness pressing in on all sides. Swallowing your panic, you waited, straining your eyelids to make sure they were open. After what felt like an eternity, your vision adjusted to the dark. You could make out the familiar shapes of furniture that you’d find in a bedroom. The problem was: it wasn’t your bedroom... 

“hey, kiddo,” a voice you recognized as Sans’ breathed in your ear. You felt your muscles tense before relaxing at his presence. “you can’t sleep, either? wanna join me for an interstellar time?” 

You cocked your head at what you guessed was a pun, but you didn’t understand what it was supposed to mean. You just nodded, reaching up to grab his boney hand when he offered it to you. You didn’t even get the chance to ask how he knew that you’d been woken by a nightmare before the darkness of what you assumed was his bedroom fell away. 

You suddenly found yourself on the roof, Sans holding your hand tightly. You still had the blanket you’d awoken in wrapped around you, but instead of a mattress, you were sitting on roof shingles. The skeleton settled down beside you as your eye drifted over to what you knew was your house. You could even see the glimmer of moonlight bouncing off the trowel you’d forgotten to put away that afternoon. 

“pisces for your thoughts?” he started off with a pun, waving a hand up at the stars despite the constellation he named not being visible at this time of year. 

You bit your lip, fingers twitching in his hold when your eye began to itch uncomfortably. You took a calming breath, fighting the urge to pick at your healing wounds. Slipping your hand from his warm bones, you did your best to respond. Being honest about everything would be beneficial for your sister, if nothing else. Besides, it wasn’t like you’d done yourself any favors at the bar that night... 

“Nightmare,” you made the motions with your hands, careful to not make an error. 

“sounds sirius,” came Sans’ simple response, though the bone between his eyes creased and the lights in his skull tightened when they gave you their undivided attention. You waited a moment, but when he said no more, you continued. 

“Back ‘home’,” you added air quotes here during a pause to indicate that you in no way considered that place as such. “I was an O-U-T-C-A-S-T. People didn’t...” You trailed off, unsure of how to word it. It wasn’t that they hated you, or that you were a bad person. You liked to think that you were a good person. Always willing to help another, never raising your voice if you could help it, and striving for perfection in everything you did. To be honest, you were seeking approval by those who chose to use you when they wanted and ignore you when they didn’t. 

“I’m unwanted,” you admitted, chest aching and eyes downcast. “The fight was an E-X-C-U-S-E to cut me.” 

“what about your family?” Sans asked but the frown on his face told you that he’d already guessed what your answer would be. 

“Scared of me,” you signed, a heavy sadness weighing on your heart. It had hit you like a ton of bricks when you’d caught on to the reason why your family and friends hadn’t bothered to visit you in the hospital. The doctors and nurses were friendly enough, but even they hadn’t been too keen on sticking around for longer than necessary to perform their duties. Only the very few monsters that had managed to garner a foothold in that closed-off community had ever shown you any sort of empathy. The officer in charge of your case had been a feline monster. She had been very kind and considerate of your situation. She’d gone so far as to get you in touch with a friend of hers on the other side of the country to help you out. She was the reason why you were even in this city in the first place... 

“they cut you out...because you protected your sister?” Disbelief was thick in his voice. You flinched at the tone but didn’t dare look up. You didn’t want to see whatever expression was on his skull. 

“Yes and no.” 

It wasn’t that simple. You had defended your sister, yes, but the way you protected her was what caused the fear in your family. Even you didn’t fully understand it, but it was something that wasn’t in line with humanity. That alone was enough to unsettle your rather racist family. While not violent towards the monsters, they did look down upon them. It was not a sentiment either you or your sister shared. You had both called them out on their prejudices multiple times since the monsters had freed themselves from their underground prison. Unfortunately, it hadn’t changed their behavior and had just created further strain on your relationship. 

“They hate you,” you indicated at him to try and get him to understand, unwilling to divulge information that you didn’t understand yourself. It pained you to say it. Tears were gathering in the corners of your eyes—even the dead one—at the admission that you came from such vile people. You hadn’t even realized you were crying until Sans pulled you into his arms and held you close. Your chest ached and you clung to the front of his hoodie, trying to ignore the hurt. 

“they hate monsters, and you don’t,” he stated. It wasn’t a question, just a matter of fact, but you nodded against his collarbone anyway. He sighed, his breath fluttering the strands of hair covering your bad eye. “their loss. i happen to think you’re out of this world.” 

You gave a silent chuckle at this, which only provoked an onslaught of astrology puns to come tumbling out of his teeth. It didn’t take long before your high-strung emotions had been laughed out and your body was sagging against him. 

“stars, kitten,” Sans breathed into your hair when he was certain that you were too far gone to hear his words. “you’re making this hydra than it needs to be.” He pulled back just enough to press his teeth against your forehead, nuzzling a skeleton kiss against your soft skin. He then spoke something he’d never thought he’d do again in his lifetime since escaping the Underground... 

“i won’t let you get hurt again, kitten...i promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're getting some nicknames...and have a bit of a secret that you still have to figure out for yourself. Sans knows something's up, though...


End file.
